Here at Think the Earth we are heartened by the enormous concern and support extended from overseas following the recent massive earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku-Kanto region. We too are determined to do everything in our ability to help the afflicted areas get back on their feet as soon as possible.

To date we have supported the work of trusted NGOs and NPOs in disaster situations by supplying as much funding as possible to the professional, private sector organizations first on the scene to assist victims. When a disaster happens, donations flood in from around the world. Invariably however most are channeled into the larger, better-known organizations. Donations come from the heart, and everyone, we imagine, wants their contribution to be put to real use at the disaster scene. Thus we believe it is vital for funds to be distributed among the many groups providing practical, on-the-ground assistance.

In saying this, without adequate knowledge in some cases when making a donation it is hard to decide the most suitable recipient. Identifying which organizations are trustworthy is not easy. In fact we are frequently contacted by people concerned by this very question.

So here at the Think the Earth we have set up a fund to initially hold donations, the sum total to then be divided among groups that we trust to provide practical, frontline assistance when and where it's required, with regular reporting back to contributors on the collection and disbursement of funds.